Common Basement Questions

WHY DOES MY BASEMENT LEAK?

To understand why this leakage occurs, think of the hole that was dug when your home was constructed as a bowl. With rainfall, this bowl fills with water searching for weak areas in your basement walls to enter as it levels itself out. The most common cause of serious problems is rainwater leaking through the basement floor or below ground level walls. In a mild case, the water will slowly seep through porous walls and can be difficult to detect. In an extreme case, the water enters through visible holes and cracks and accumulates in deep puddles on the floor. Unfortunately, its the water you can’t see that causes the most serious foundation problems.

IS WATER LEAKAGE A COMMON PROBLEM?

Poured- common leak is where floor meets wall “cove area” or wall cracks.
Stone- tendency to leak all over.
Terracotta- cores of the wall run vertical or horizontal. Leak similar to block wall.
Floor leak- caused from hydrostatic pressure.

OUR BASEMENT NEVER LEAKED. FIVE YEARS LATER, IT BEGAN TO LEAK. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?

Over time, walls settle and crack the protective coating that was applied during construction to help stop leakage. Homes built to be waterproof can begin to leak without notice.

DO I NEED TO WATERPROOF MY BASEMENT NOW?

Yes. Postponing waterproofing your basement can cause severe damage caused by water that the homeowner is not aware of. This also can cause costly foundation structural repairs, mold growth and may increase health issues.

WHAT IF I HAVE A CRAWL SPACE?

Having your crawl space waterproofed will help you gain storage space, save energy and get rid of that damp, musty odor in your home. A dirt, vented ,or unconditioned concrete crawl space under a home is a very bad idea. The ground has very high humidly in the soil. This water moisture moves easily into the crawl space and up into the house environment. Crawl spaces don’t have to be wet or flooded to be extremely unhealthy. The natural airflow in a home is from the bottom to the top. This sucks the moist air and everything else into your living space. Mold spores, odor, humidity and critters create a very unhealthy home for your family. Many are allergic and experience a host of symptoms and don’t realize that their dirt crawl space is affecting your families health.

WILL HAVING MY BASEMENT WATERPROOFED INCREASE THE VALUE OF MY HOME?

Yes. After having your home waterproofed there is a immediate increase in market value.

WHAT IS THE WHITE CHALKY SUBSTANCE ON THE WALLS?

Efflorescence. Concrete is made of three materials, stones, lime, & cement. What you are seeing is a chemical breakdown of the bonding agent that holds your walls together. The water that is inside of your foundation wall will overtime, leech the lime cement out of the wall, leaving nothing to hold it together.

I HAVE BROWN STAINS ON MY WALLS, WHAT IS THIS?

Acid damage. The clay outside your home is very acidic, and when the water leaks into your basement it draws that acidity with it. Your walls act as a filter holding this acid back and allowing the “clean” water into your basement. Acid damage leads to wall deterioration.

WHAT WILL IT COST TO WATERPROOFING MY BASEMENT?

It depends on what type of problems exist in your basement. A local inspector will be happy to give you a free estimate. Call us at 800-511-6579 or fill out our interest form and someone will contact you.

PA Basement Waterproofing is central Pennsylvania’s solution for all of your residential foundation repair and basement drying needs. If you have water or moisture-related problems in your basement, we’re the basement waterproofing experts you’ve been looking for.